ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (7-8-1, 6-6-1 NSIC) picked up a crucial win over Minnesota Duluth (4-9-2, 3-7-2 NSIC) on Sunday afternoon as Alahna Anderson's goal in the 87^th minute proved to be the difference.

The Golden Bears close out the regular season next weekend as they travel to Upper Iowa on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. before returning home for the season finale on Sunday against Winona State for senior day at 1 p.m.

The Golden Bears and Peacocks are now tied for eighth in the NSIC Standings with 19 points, providing a playoff atmosphere in Fayette, Iowa on Friday afternoon.


 
The Golden Bears dominated for much of the afternoon but looked to be headed to overtime for the second match in a row before Anderson's strike put CSP on top with just four minutes to play. The win gave Concordia four points on the weekend and put them right in the thick of the race for the final few spots in the NSIC Tournament heading into the final weekend.
 
In addition to their assists on the lone goal, Buck and Lindsay were near constant threats up front as they used their speed to create havoc in the Minnesota Duluth defense. Buck finished with three shots while Lindsay had two. Jessica Bianchi and Jade Weller were also catalysts all afternoon as Bianchi fired a game-high four shots, two on goal, and Weller added three shots with numerous crosses that led to opportunities.
 
Senior Emma Gartner stepped up with a big performance at an important point in the season as she collected her fourth shutout. She wasn't challenged often, but she answered the call when needed as she made six saves in the win.
 
Katie Peterson matched Bianchi's mark of four shots, three on goal, for the Bulldogs while Sisley Ng made seven saves in net for UMD.
 
The Golden Bears were the far superior squad in the first half as they held nearly all of the possession and created great scoring opportunities throughout the entire half. In total, Concordia had 12 shots, with five on goal, compared to four, with two on goal, for UMD, but it was even more lopsided than that on the field.
 
CSP got things rolling with a quick chance just two minutes into the game to set the tone. They nearly opened the scoring again around the 15^th minute as they put up a barrage of shots but Sisley Ng kept them all from finding the back of the net. The pressure remained there for the rest of the half but there was nothing to show for it as the two teams went into the half scoreless.
 
The Bulldogs recovered a bit in the second half as they leveled out the play more, but it was still the Golden Bears that had the better of the play after the break. Concordia survived a few scares as Minnesota Duluth had some close calls but Emma Gartner stood tall and preserved the scoreless tie.
 
Concordia regained their advantage down the stretch but it looked like they were going to be unrewarded a until the final five minutes as Chelsie Lindsay feathered a pass to McKenzie Buck on the right side of the field and Buck rolled it out in front of the net to a sprinting Anderson, who drilled it off the post and in to seal the three points for the win. The Golden Bears held strong for the final few minutes as they closed out a much-needed victory to stay right in the mix for a spot in the conference tournament.